Cold Heart
by Claywind
Summary: "Do you have something to protect?" These words would forever haunt him, a reminder of that fateful night when he lost his father. Anger and hatred would grow within his cold heart, compelling him to despise the child who now shared his blood. But what if he had followed his father's last advice? What if, long before saving Rin, Sesshomaru had found someone to protect?
1. One - Inu no Taisho

**Summary:** "Do you have something to protect?"

These words would forever haunt him, a reminder of that fateful night when he lost his father. Anger and hatred would grow within his cold heart, compelling him to despise the child who now shared his blood. But what if he had followed his father's last advice? What if, long before saving Rin, Sesshomaru had found someone to protect?

 **Title:** Cold Heart

 **Genre:** Family

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's brain and I wouldn't know what to do with it if I did. Inuyasha and all of its characters belong to her and her only.

 **Rating:** M, for violence and a bit of gore

 **Warnings:** Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's slight Out-Of-Canon-ness

XXX-XXX-XXX

The wind was howling, its quiet lament sculpting the night sea. The waves, dark ink under darker skies, were collapsing on the sand, retreating and advancing again, as if to devour the earth. The pure snow reflected the slight crescent moon's light, its silvery hue enshrouding the coast in a glimmering spell of silence.

A man was standing at the top of a small hill, his tall silhouette rising at the edge of the world, its paleness contrasting against the black sea. White fur and whiter hair were flapping in the wind. His armor battered, his clothes torn and shredded, the Inu no Taisho was standing tall against the darkness.

Deep scarlet dripped on the cold snow.

Blood.

X-X-X

The earth had shaken under the violence of the battle and, even miles away, Sesshomaru had felt the ground tremble when the titans had collided.

The wind had carried the scent of blood to his nostrils and, even though he knew defeat was impossible, he had followed the trail of his father's scent, nearing the sea.

The snow glowed, pure whiteness rimming the black waves, and he had seen the silhouette of his father facing the ocean.

Sesshomaru advanced.

Deep scarlet dripped on the cold snow.

Blood.

X-X-X

Pain in his limbs, in his body. Pain in his wounds, pain in his pride.

Pain everywhere, but the Inu no Taisho stood tall.

Ryuukotsusei's defeat had been at a cost. He would have been foolish to expect the dragon-demon to be brought down without a price. And the price was blood, and it was steep. He had paid it gladly, however, for the monster was not a threat to his kin anymore.

So he endured his wounds and looked longingly at the sea.

Something ached in his heart and he knew she too was in pain.

Her suffering was strangely sweet to him because he knew that, at this very moment, the woman he loved was about to give birth. The thought filled him with delight.

The scent of his son reached his nostrils but he did not turn to greet him. A slow smile crept on his lips when he realized that, from now on, he would have to refer to Sesshomaru as his _eldest_ child.

Yes, despite the pain he was in, this was definitely a time for happiness.

But his thoughts soon turned back to Izayoi, the soft pain of her labor diluted through their bond, compelling him to go.

He had to go, no matter his wounds, he had to go and be by her side, as he had done decades ago for Sesshomaru's birth. His mate of the time had been proud and dignified, balancing his brazenness with cool serenity and a glint of steel. He had loved her, and even though it had been sometimes hard to see under her cold demeanor, she had loved him just as much.

But time has a way of changing people and their love had dimmed from the pyre it once was to a flickering flame in the wind. By the time they grew apart, it was naught but scattered embers and cold ashes.

All was not lost however, and the last spring had seeded new beginnings. He had found beauty in the imperfections of a mortal face, strength in her resolve and, yes, he had found love again where he would have never expected it.

And he had never been one to deny himself what he loved.

He needed her more than she needed him. More than his life, more than his heart, more than anything, he needed her presence.

No one would stop him.

X-X-X

Sesshomaru was standing silently behind the man he called father. The smell of blood was overwhelming and he eyed the consequences of Ryuukotsusei's defeat. The wounds on his father's back were numerous and deep. Even from afar, Sesshomaru could hear the labored breathing and see the way his shoulders slumped slightly in exhaustion. But even though he was greatly weakened by his fight, the Inu no Taisho would survive.

Sesshomaru knew it.

His father could not, would not, let what remained of their family be torn apart more than it already was. So why, he wondered, why, when he asked his question, why was there a trace of worry in his heart?

X-X-X

"Do you insist on going, Father?"

His son's voice was aloof and emotionless. The scent that reached his nostrils emitted neither fear, nor concern, but determination. He wondered what that resolve was and then realized he knew.

"Are you going to stop me, Sesshomaru?" he asked his son without turning to him, seemingly addressing his question to the dark sea.

Cold as ice, was his son's voice when he replied with the negative; cold as ice, and just as unyielding. The wind howled in the night and Izayoi's pain ached once again in his chest.

"However," his son spoke again "before you leave, I request that the fangs, So'unga and Tessaiga, are handed to me."

Uncaring, uncompromising. Cold as ice, cold as death. A low growl rumbled in the father's chest. Had he taught his son to encase his heart in frost and repel any emotions and attachments? Had he failed his child?

"If I say no," he replied slowly, "will you kill your own father?"

Only the wind answered, its insatiable howl stirring the seas, leading them to crash against the shores.

The Inu no Taisho winced at the dark waves, anger, disgust and concern colliding in his heart. Anger at his son's greed, disgust at himself for his failure and concern… concern for the woman he loved, the woman who was lying in pain and enduring it all for him.

X-X-X

The words struck him hard, although he did not show it. Sesshomaru had not even considered the possibility of using brute force to take what he wanted. But now, the Inu no Taisho was weakened by his last fight. And despite the dishonorableness of the method, Sesshomaru knew that, were he to attack, he would win effortlessly. He mused over the thought, envisioning the likely outcome of such a confrontation.

Kill his father.

Claim the swords.

Walk the path of conquest, unhindered and undefeated. Destroy anyone and anything that would dare stand in his path. Conquer any land that he pleased; unite any nation that would oppose him. Become the most powerful being in all creation.

Kill his father.

And betray everything he was.

Sesshomaru glared at the silent taiyoukai that had yet to turn and greet him. The wind's howling had become more insistent and he narrowed his eyes. Had his father so little esteem for him? Did the Inu no Taisho truly believe that he, Sesshomaru, would commit a parricide? That he would step on his values, his own honor, so easily? And for what? Swords that he would inherit in the end anyway.

"Do you desire power that much?" came the voice of the great dog general, rumbling with uncontested supremacy.

Sesshomaru looked at his father. Of course, he desired power. Power was his identity, his reason to be and walk the earth proudly.

But did he desire power to the point of betraying himself?

How could his father not know the answer?

X-X-X

The Inu no Taisho stared at the sea. The rising waves and the howling winds reflected his dawning anger at his son's silence.

"Why do you seek power?" he asked, unable to look away from the black waves crushing against the shores.

He did not dare turn to face his son. He was afraid of what he would find in his eyes if he did.

"I must travel the path of conquest," Sesshomaru answered in a cold detached tone "Power is necessary to walk that path."

The Inu no Taisho lowered his head.

"Conquest, huh?" he whispered more to himself than to his son, though he knew Sesshomaru's ears were keen enough to hear him.

What was the point of conquest if you had no one to turn to? What was the point of power if there was no one to help and protect with it?

For a brief instant, he foresaw his son's future and it was a bleak one. A future littered with corpses, filled with violence and, above all, solitude, until his son had lost his heart and forgotten himself.

His fists clenched, almost by their own will. He could not allow this. Even now, even as weakened as he was, he could not allow his son to destroy himself like this. Anger burning strong in his heart, he raised his voice and asked:

"Sesshomaru, do you have something to protect?"

The wind howled in the night, running between the father and the son, standing a few feet apart from each other.

Worlds apart.

"Something to protect?" Sesshomaru replied with slight disbelief underlying his tone.

The waves crashed against the shore. Cold and dark was the sea, but not as much as his son's heart in this instant.

"I, Sesshomaru, have no need for that."

X-X-X

Izayoi was in pain.

The birth of her first child was proving to be harder than what she had been led to believe by the castle's midwife, and she was beginning to suspect that she might end up losing her life in the process. It did not frighten her, though, and she had no idea why. Perhaps because all her attention was focused on heeding the midwife's orders and doing her best to still her trembling body and pushing her child out when she was told to.

Through the haze of pain engulfing her mind, she could sense her beloved approaching, which was a comforting prospect. Soon, he would be there, holding her against all the pain in the world, and she would feel strong enough to face everything.

The midwife suddenly left her, asking her to lay low and wait for her return, and Izayoi heard muffled voices through the door, as if someone was told to stay outside.

Then, there was a muted scream and footsteps that stopped right next of the curtains of her bed.

"Who is there?" she asked weakly, breathing heavily from the pain in her belly.

"Setsuna no Takemaru" a familiar voice answered and Izayoi relaxed.

She knew Takemaru and he had always behaved like an honorable, if a bit rigid, person.

Also, her beloved was approaching rapidly, which brought her warmth inside. In fact, she could sense his wild emotions through what he had called their "bond", though he had never elaborated much on what she considered to be some kind of youkai magic.

She could feel great anger emanating from him and a ping of fear came to her heart.

"Takemaru?" she repeated slowly to confirm it was really him.

He did not answer, which proved to her it was her taciturn favorite samurai, and she asked him between her labored breaths to take everyone out of the castle. She could feel the rage and the possessiveness seething from her beloved's heart and she knew better than to let anyone get between them when he was in this state.

He would not forgive anyone for being here.

Takemaru did not move and his voice rose in the silence:

"Izayoi-sama. I have always been fond of you…"

For a few seconds, she was shocked speechless. Was Takemaru confessing his love to her? Why? How did he expect her to answer when she was giving birth to the child of another, whom she loved more than anything?

An incomprehensible worry emerged in her heart, amplified when Takemaru completed his sentence, in a bitter tone:

"…Even if your heart has been stolen by a mononoke."

As she heard the anger growing in his voice, she saw from the corner of her eye, the shadow of his raised arm painted black on the curtain.

 _"_ _No,"_ she thought, unable to speak because a new flash of pain clenched her belly and she pushed away the suffering.

The spear tore through the curtain and sank in her flesh. The pain between her ribs was unbearable and she opened her mouth to scream, but only a faint whisper came out.

Her vision blurred and tears flooded her face as she heard the footsteps of Takemaru draw away in the night. She tentatively raised a hand, reaching desperately in the direction she could feel her beloved approaching, murmuring his name.

 _"_ _Please…"_ she thought.

She did not want to die now, not without seeing him one last time.

Izayoi was in pain.

The pain faded to darkness.

X-X-X

Fear and pain cracked through the bond and he roared in fury when he deciphered the confused flashes of emotions and realized that someone had _hurt_ his mate.

His eyes bled red and he regained his true form, leaving his son's presence in a hurricane of demonic energy.

Running madly along the coast, he discarded the terrified pleas of his cowardly attendant. No matter how Myoga wanted him to flee, he could not abandon Izayoi.

…Or let live the bastard that had dared lay a hand on her.

His arrival at the castle created a small earthquake and he had barely reverted to human form that Tessaiga was in his hands, unsheathed and deadly. He did not care for the small army waiting for him both outside and inside the fort. Neither did he care for the sharp arrows that embedded themselves in his arms and torso. Seething with fury, he unleashed the Wind Scar which tore through the stone walls, searing everything in its path. He ran through the bloodied corpses that had stood between him and his mate.

No one would stop him.

X-X-X

 **And here it is! First chapter of Cold Heart! It will be a short story. Probably not more than 3 to 4 chapters. Don't hesitate to review, it's always greatly appreciated!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Claywind**


	2. Two - Izayoi

**Warnings:** This part contains the implied threat of rape. If this bothers you, skip the part in question, it's very short

XXX-XXX-XXX

Izayoi was running in the snow, her newborn child cradled in her arms. The tears on her cheeks had been dried by the cold wind and exhaustion was slowly creeping in her limbs. She was cold and tired. She had no idea how she was now able to maintain her running pace when she had always had such a frail body. It seemed her beloved's healing sword had not just brought her back from the shadows, but also restored a good chunk of her health in the process. Not that she was complaining. She was going to need every ounce of strength she could muster.

Behind her, the far blaze of the burning castle kept lighting the night but she refused to look back to the glowing pyre. She was decided to follow her beloved's last command.

 _You must live. Now, run!_

He was dead.

She did not know how she knew, but the certitude had struck her heart a few minutes after she had left the castle's grounds, like something had been torn from her. The sudden feeling of _emptiness_ had made her fall to her knees. The fire-rat wrapped around her had not protected her from the abrupt cold creeping in her limbs and only the weak cries of her newborn son had given her the strength to stand again and keep running.

 _Inuyasha. The child. His name is Inuyasha._

She was darkly anticipating the moment where she would stumble and collapse, unable to get up. Yes, she could very easily picture herself lying in the snow, waiting to die alone.

Each step she took was a fight against that prospect and, even though she desperately wanted to crumple in her beloved's embrace, letting his warmth sooth her cries, she knew she could not. A pang of grief ached in her heart and, for the hundredth time it seemed, she re-centered her thoughts on the snowy path. She had to focus her mind on escaping and it was more important than any relief her tears could give her. She could not fall down and weep. Not now that her child's survival and her own depended on her frail strengths.

The wind raged against her clothes, chilling her to the bones.

But Izayoi kept running.

X-X-X

Sesshomaru was watching the castle burn.

When the first flames had erupted on the roof, brought there by hundreds of arrows, he had felt his beast growl in anger at the betrayal the humans were committing against their own kind. He had been surprised to realize that his inner youkai expected humans to behave with the same honor and respect for loyalty that he was used to display.

It had angered him.

Surely, the beast knew better than to put humans and youkai – taiyoukai even more so – on the same level. His inner self should not regard humans as more than degenerated apes. If it did, then he had now a perfectly valid reason to rule his beast with an iron grip.

A few minutes after the last of the outer walls crumbled down in the fire, Myoga arrived, jumping with difficulty in his direction. His father's attendant stopped a few feet away, not daring to approach any closer, which was satisfying. Sesshomaru had always made it clear that, if his father tolerated the irritating presence of the flea demon on his body, he would not show such lenience.

The elderly youkai respectfully informed him of the events that had unfolded under the burning roof. After a few seconds waiting for his reaction – and as Sesshomaru remained frostily composed – Myoga asked in a tear-filled voice what were the orders of the new Lord of the West.

In his iciest tone, Sesshomaru sent the flea-demon away, unable to believe that his father was dead.

The flames were licking at the walls, devouring everything in their wake. He looked at them, for what seemed an eternity.

Somewhere in the pyre, laid the body of the Inu no Taisho.

The thought that such a prodigiously powerful youkai could have been slain by a disgusting and pathetic mortal was enough to make his beast hiss. And that was not even the worst of it, he realized, when he considered that his powerful and esteemed father had chosen to sacrifice his life for a mere human female.

His inner beast growled in anger, desiring to kill the offending woman in retribution, but Sesshomaru forced its storming rage to freeze. He refused to be the toy of his most debasing emotions. If he was to kill the woman, he would do so with calm and resolve.

Like a true taiyoukai should.

But, to be honest with himself, he surmised that there would not be much killing for him to do. He had seen in the distance her stumbling silhouette running away from the pyre. A lone human in a moonless winter night… it was unlikely that she would survive the wild, especially if she was a frail noblewoman, unused to the nature outside. She would fall prey to lesser youkai, or even lowly beasts, soon enough.

The image of a half-frozen corpse mauled by wolves came to his mind and he began to walk in the direction he estimated her to have run to.

Killing her would not be revenge; it would be an act of mercy.

X-X-X

Izayoi was exhausted. It had been a while since she had stopped running, her tired limbs too heavy to do more than support her staggering steps. The night had enshrouded the cold trees and she was slowly beginning to realize that the narrow path she had followed blindly had been lost for a very long time. In the silent forest, echoed the creaks and hums of unseen creatures prowling for food. Their black noises were enough to terrify the sheltered woman, stumbling haphazardly in the deep snow. In fact, she would have been petrified if she had not a creature even weaker than herself to protect.

Inuyasha was silent in her arms, as if he knew too that they should not be heard. That or she was not the only one being at the end of her strength. The small warmth of her child wrapped in the fire-rat of her beloved was comforting. But not comforting enough for her to forget that the owner of this soft scarlet cloth would not be coming back.

She chased the thought, focusing on her child's tiny breaths. Although she was cold, she would rather have him be warm than risking Inuyasha falling ill. He seemed so small and fragile in her arms. Frozen and exhausted, she smiled softly at her baby. There was no doubt that he would grow strong and beautiful like his father…

Once again, she forced her thoughts to stop, but she knew it was in vain. They were galloping and swirling around her head, wild horses, ridden by sorrow and grief. Trying to tame them was a hopeless and maddening process.

In the distant night, she heard voices of men, calling her name. She did not answer and oriented her steps in the opposite direction. The forest had grown black and darker than she had first anticipated, but, even though she was afraid of the dark, she was even more scared of being found.

Takemaru was – had been – leading most of the castle's guards.

The ones looking for her were most likely under his orders and she wouldn't let him kill her a second time. She accelerated her exhausted pace, a defiant glint in her eyes.

Her beloved had once said that she had the audacity of a true inu youkai – granted they had been doing something vastly different and a lot more pleasurable at the time – and she would honor his words. She was not going to die like this. She was going to protect her child. She was going to live.

Far in the forest – but closer than before – the shouts echoed again and she forced her trembling legs to run a little further.

Just a little…

She stumbled on a hidden root and fell in the snow. She allowed a sob to course through her frame before slowly raising from the wet coldness. Wincing at the pain in her ankle, she got up, hugging Inuyasha tightly against her chest.

Her child was silent and distantly she knew that, on some level, he understood that they were in danger. Where a human child would have cried and signaled their position, her beautiful half youkai baby was following his instinct and remained quiet as he was being bumped in the rhythm of her staggering run. Even if she knew how much trouble could have been avoided if her lover had been human – he would have been hers, no matter what – she was, for the first time, actually _glad_ that her child possessed demonic blood.

A sound jolted her back to reality. The sound of hooves crushing the fresh snow, somewhere not so far behind her.

Thundering against the frozen ground, the riders were closing in, so near that, when she rapidly looked over her shoulder, she could almost discern the horses' shapes behind the darkened trunks.

With newfound adrenaline, she sprang into a dead run.

X-X-X

The scents of the riders reached Sesshomaru long before he heard their voices. They were searching for his prey and, from the sound of their enthusiastic shouts, they had clearly no intent to rescue her.

He briefly conjectured as to why they would even trouble themselves chasing after the condemned woman, brushing away the fact that he was doing the exact same thing – he felt a responsibility to clean up after his father's last mistake. His attention got back to the filthy scents, and he contemplated again why they bothered, when their poor tracking senses and techniques were at a thorough disadvantage with the wind and the snow erasing almost every trace she could have left behind her.

The warriors were getting closer to his current position, their conversations becoming a lot clearer to decipher, and it was not a really pleasing occurrence. Most of the loud banters revolved around how they were going to enjoy the fallen princess before murdering her.

How guards – because those were definitely guards, and of the same castle that his prey had run from – could be ordered to torture and kill someone whom they had spent years protecting escaped him. How they could enjoy it escaped him even further, even if he knew not to expect much from humans. His beast growled at the disloyalty but he straightened the snarling dog.

The woman was his to kill and he would reach her before any of these worthless warriors could lay a hand on her anyway.

Though he _could_ slaughter them in his father's memory. The Inu no Taisho would certainly have defended his human toy… and shedding the blood of mortal scum was somewhat cathartic. The idea was tempting but he eventually decided against it, on the motive that it would be a pointless waste of time.

Loud yells further in the forest interrupted his inner debate, warning him that the aforementioned scum had found the woman's trail in the snow.

Well, this settled his options. Taking to the skies, he sped to the woman's location, and had to repress a curse when he realized that she had already been caught up with by another – quieter – group of the same soldier filth. She was still alive, for which his inner youkai yapped merrily and he had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. What was it going to take for his beast to realize that he was going to _execute_ her?

Most of the warriors had dismounted and a good half of them was in the process of undressing the woman who was fighting back with a surprising amount of violence. Sesshomaru pondered for a few seconds at the possible source of her vigor and then noticed the whimpering bundle of red cloth lying in the snow, merely five feet away from the scene. His eyes came back to the woman, an imperceptible glint of approval in them.

Her assailants should know better than to stand between a bitch and her cub.

The thought had not even grazed his mind that he pushed it away, angrily. That pathetic _human female_ was not to be confused with a true youkai bitch.

A broken cry quelled his anger as the woman was forced to the ground. He decided that he would not enjoy watching her being raped. He had had quite enough of mortals for the next century.

He jumped from his cloud of youki, his silhouette a white blur, and summoned his poison whip. The yellow light cut neatly through the filth that died without even realizing they were attacked.

 _"_ _Pathetic"_ he thought before turning to the sobbing woman who was crawling away from the bloodied corpses. He could not make out her scent, under the suffocating tang of blood and she was probably downwind, too, if his silver hair, flowing in her direction were any indication. Why he had not killed her with the rest of the scum eluded him, but he argued to himself that she should understand why she was going to die. That, or some buried sadistic part of him wanted the woman to _see_ who was killing her. He did bear some striking resemblance with his father after all.

On quivering limbs, she went to retrieve her child and only when the small creature was cradled in her arms, did she seem to realize how pitiable her dressing was.

She fumbled a bit with the torn clothes before seemingly giving up and turning to face him. She bowed deeply, thanking him in a thoroughly formal way – though obviously sincere – with a still slightly trembling voice. He decided that he would let her finish. It was a properly executed display of thankfulness, and it felt somewhat dishonorable to cut her off – literally – when she was expressing her gratitude to him.

When she rose from her bow, her eyes travelled up his face, wary at first. Then, as she appeared to perceive something reassuring about his presence, relief suddenly washed over her features.

He narrowed his eyes and his claws shone of an ominous green. The woman looked down at them, obviously confused at his hostility, and he, confused at her confusion. Youkai were known to despise and hate humans; how could she not see that he intended to kill her? Then, he remembered that this particular woman's relations with youkai must have been restricted to encounters with his father. And his great and esteemed sire had most certainly never even considered hurting his human toy. The thought of what the Inu no Taisho had done to her instead suddenly brought to his mind the full realization of the child's likely parentage.

Sesshomaru glowered murderously at the bundle of cloth, noticing only now the white silver threads and animalistic features typical of half-breeds.

 _"_ _Father,"_ he thought, hatred burning acrid in his mouth, _"Even for you, that is one mistake too much."_

He would not tolerate the pure blood of his ancestors to be debased with a mortal's filthy one. He would not permit his family to be defiled with a hanyou child. He would not allow his name to be associated with such a disgrace.

He would not be discarded and replaced.

Glowing acid dripped from his claws, the deadly liquid hissing when it touched the snow. Leaving a trail of small fumes behind him, the coldly furious taiyoukai advanced towards the uncertain but slowly retreating mother.

The storming winds abruptly changed direction, bringing him her scent, which only refined his hatred. When the smell of the child hit his nostril, however, his brain froze.

 _Pack._

Within him, his inner beast thundered and roared with such raw power that Sesshomaru staggered in his steps. His eyes narrowed while a scorching wave crashed through his mind, carving the searing fact in his deepest being.

 _Pack._

The word blazed, like a sun suddenly set aflame in the void. It burned, strong and bright, blinding, and his inner beast was thriving in the agonizing inferno. Inextinguishable.

 _Pack._

The child shared his blood. There was no denying, no escaping the fact that this disgusting half-human _thing_ belonged to his pack. He was pack and so was his mother. Hurting them would be a betrayal to his family and his kin.

Hurting them was _unthinkable_.

X-X-X

The youkai lowered his hand, the glow fading quickly, and Izayoi found herself looking bewildered at a seemingly frozen – and younger looking – replica of her dear lover.

He had mentioned having had a son.

She was exhausted, but she had already added two and two.

"Are you…" she began before stopping fast at the glare he sent her.

"I despise you," he declared coldly. "You are the cause of my father's demise and, for this, you deserve to die."

She opened her mouth – to protest or to plead for mercy, she was not sure – and closed it without a sound. There was no comprehension in these cold eyes, no warmth. No compassion.

In her vision, flashed golden irises filled with love. So similar yet so different.

She hugged Inuyasha more tightly to her chest.

After a long silence, her beloved's son spoke again:

"I will not be the one to slay you." He turned around and began walking. "Your weak blood will suffice."

She made a motion with her hand, as if to hold him:

"Please, wait!"

He did not stop.

"Please, I need your help."

He did not even acknowledge that she had spoken, but she tried again. She was alone and hurt, lost in the deepest part of the forest and the remaining half of a small army was on her trail to kill her. If her beloved's son did not help her, she was as good as dead.

And she was not going to die.

"In his name, I beg you to help us!" she cried out with a broken voice.

He stopped in his track and turned slowly to face her. She dismissed the murdering glare he sent her. Being afraid would not help. Being afraid would only confirm that she was a prey. And she was not.

"How dare you…" he whispered before his voice rose like a hurricane. "How _dare_ you ask in my father's name?"

Izayoi noticed that his eyes had turned red and realized that she had maybe committed a mistake.

"You are nothing, human," he snarled in what looked like a barely restrained fury. "To the eyes of my kind, you are a worthless nothing."

The glow of his claws dimmed as his voice settled back into unyielding ice:

"You are disposable, pathetic and weak. You are nothing and you deserve nothing. You are insignificant, useless, unworthy of my claws and certainly unworthy of my help."

His eyes narrowed to two yellow slits.

"You are nothing, and you will have nothing."

In her arms, Inuyasha cried softly and she murmured to reassure him.

"Please," she tried again "I'm begging you… don't leave us to die here. You… you can't leave your own brother to-…"

The sight of glowing claws silenced her.

"This half-breed is not my brother."

He turned his back on her and resumed his walk through the dark trees. She ran to follow him, but it seemed as if each of his steps was covering more ground than what she could and, as he was disappearing behind the black trunks, she could only faintly hear his last words to her:

"Walk in this direction and you'll find a road. From there, you can live or die, I do not care."

X-X-X

 **And here it is. Cold Heart part 2! Sesshomaru can really be a sadistic a**hole. Don't worry, he'll get better, but I needed to place the foundations of his hatred or there wouldn't be place for his future character development. Also, Sesshomaru is kind of a cold jerk sometimes, even in canon, so... Anyway, in part 3, Inuyasha comes into play, so heh, good news, (also it will mostly be from his point of view)**

 **Don't hesitate to review and comment: I always like hearing from you guys**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Claywind**


	3. Three - Inuyasha

Inuyasha was four years old.

His mother had given him a ball and instructed him to play with it. He had contemplated the round sphere with a skeptical expression but his mother had shooed him to the gardens, arguing that exercise could only be good for his health. At first, it was fun to throw it around and run after it. But the process eventually became a bit boring. A few minutes of intense reflection brought the young child to realize that it would be a lot more fun to throw it back and forth to something else. The walls of the mansion proved to be not completely suited for the task and Inuyasha decided to look around the grounds for others to play with him.

After one hour of fruitless search, he began to fear that no one would play with him. Adults had made it very clear that they did not want to be approached and the few noble children that lived around – possibly relatives – were carefully avoiding him. He could not understand why.

Maybe they thought he was a sore loser? He was not. He would be very happy to lose as much as would be needed if that was what it took to make friends.

At this point, he was ready to play any part in whatever game would be proposed. Even the ball (well, preferably not, but he was desperate.) Except that no game would be proposed because there was no one around. Eventually, he followed the trail of what smelt like a much older child. When he found his target close to the back stables, he was met with a cold glare. But since the older – and dirty – boy did not immediately turn heels, Inuyasha kept his hopes up. With slightly trembling hands, he offered the ball and asked if the other would like to play with him.

Inuyasha was four years old when he heard the word for the first time.

Hanyou.

X-X-X

Inuyasha was seven years old.

Dawn had awoken him and, as per habit, he had slipped into his mother's room to wake her. Unlike usual, however, she had not mumbled soft incoherent words at his arrival. She had remained motionless and silent.

Her scent was different, too. It was not warm and comforting anymore. It had become… cold.

He did not understand why his mother would not wake up. He called her name, poked her side and shook her shoulder, but she did not react. Tears leaked out of his eyes, although he only noticed them when his vision began to blur. He did not understand why he was crying. It was a new day and he was not sad yet. The others had not yet walked away from him. They had not yet ignored him when he had tried to make friends or thrown veiled insults that they thought he could not – or did not care if he did – understand.

Wiping the water from his cheeks, he asked his mother to wake up, shaking her shoulder with more intent, but she did not answer. He remained silent for a while, then cuddled next to her sleeping form, waiting.

One hour later, he tried again, still refusing comprehension to clear his mind. But when he realized that her body had grown cold too, he made low whimpering sounds, calling out instinctively for someone.

Eventually, one of the maids came to see what was taking so long for Izayoi to get up. The clean-smelling woman looked at him and, in her eyes, the usual annoyance was replaced with something really soft.

Later, he would learn to name that expression on people's faces, he would know to call it pity and avoid it whenever he could.

But now, he let the maid put an arm on his shoulder and hug him. It felt nice to be hugged. Slowly, she explained that his mother would not wake up, that she would never wake up and that he would need to be strong.

Inuyasha was seven years old when he learnt what 'dying' meant.

He buried his nose in the maid's chest, wishing to forget his mother's cold scent, but it was already too late. He could never un-know the smell of death.

He cried a long time and the woman rocked him slowly, murmuring inaudible words of comfort. When he had exhausted the tears, he asked what was going to happen.

She did not know.

X-X-X

Inuyasha was eight years old.

He was walking barefoot in the quickly thickening snow of the beginning winter. His footsteps were slow and shaky. The sole of his feet was painful and he would have probably frozen to death if he had not been wearing his fire-rat clothes. His stomach growled and he encircled it with his arms in a hope to quell the horrible hunger.

It had only been four months since he had been chased away. Only four months and it felt like years already.

Feeding himself in the last days of summer and autumn had been relatively easy. His nose had helped him locate berries and fruit trees. At first, he had been wary of their height but he had learned to climb them very fast.

Hunger was an excellent teacher.

He had taken it all like a big adventure. If only to avoid thinking about the stones his "family" had thrown at him to make him run faster. He did not need them. He was going to live in the wild, eat fruits, grow stronger and be perfectly fine, he had decided.

As winter had approached, however, edible fruits had become scarce. Now, he was struggling to survive.

The sky was slowly darkening, but night would not be there before one hour at least. In the distance, he detected the faint smell of smoke and cooked food. He hesitated. He had already tried to beg for scraps in villages before and had usually been welcomed with pitchforks and flying stones. His stomach growled once more and he oriented his steps in the direction of the village anyway. The salivating scents were just too much to ignore.

He arrived long after night had fallen.

Most of the houses were silent and darkened. Their occupants were probably already asleep. He avoided them, having once tried to sneak inside and found out the hard way that he was not very stealthy.

A bigger house, on top of a small hill was still lightened and he could faintly hear music coming from the warm-looking rooms. His face brightened. If there was a feast, there would be leftovers. He smiled to himself and approached carefully from the back, where a few bushes would hide his arrival.

For a long time he observed the warm yellow squares of the windows, forcing himself to wait and wait some more.

He had learned patience.

Barging in would only make them hostile. He had to wait until the feast was finished and _then_ someone would get outside to throw away some unwanted scraps. Humans always threw outside what they did not want.

He gritted his teeth at the sudden burning sensation in his throat. He blinked hard and rubbed his eyes a few times to be sure. Patiently, he waited.

Eventually, a young girl trotted out from the corner of the house, carrying a flat straw-basket. She walked straight to the bush he was hiding behind – apparently intending throw there the content of her basket – but suddenly stopped.

From the look of pure panic on her face, Inuyasha guessed he had been spotted.

Slowly, very slowly, he prowled out of his hideout, trying his best to appear as harmless as he could.

"Please," he whispered in a pleading tone, "please don't scream."

She stared at him, eyes widened in terror, and even in the darkness of the night, it was easy to see her trembling. The basket fell from her hands with a soft thud and she took a few steps backwards.

"I… I'm just hungry," Inuyasha continued his eye inescapably attracted to the fallen basket, "please don't…"

He took a step in the direction of the scraps. At his movement, the girl emitted a high-pitched scream and ran home, calling for help. Inuyasha let out a small curse and grabbed the basket while voices and shouts erupted from the house.

He turned heels and ran away as fast as he could, the basket pressed against his chest. The night landscape around him reduced to a blur.

He stopped when the trees of a nearby wood had him somehow camouflaged. His heart was beating wildly in his chest and he felt like he was about to pass out. He spent unbearable minutes listening intently for signs of pursuit. Only when he was absolutely certain they had not followed him did he turn his attention to his prize. The basket contained remnants of grilled fish and some unrecognizable vegetable's peelings. Relief washed over him at the sight. Without waiting any longer, he began stuffing the food into his mouth, discarding the foul taste for the simple satisfaction of filling his stomach. The hunger would be kept at bay a little longer.

He had succeeded.

Why did he feel like crying?

X-X-X

On the following morning, the hunger was back.

He got up slowly and moved further into the forest. Going back to the village after the ruckus he had made would be foolish. With a bit of luck, he would pick on the trail of some wounded animal. He smiled darkly at the thought.

When it came to hunt, he was an utter failure. He was not strong enough to bring a wild boar down and not fast enough to catch rabbits and deer. He could only prey on animals that were already weakened and not already eaten. And those were terribly rare.

On the first days of autumn, he had stumbled across a half-mauled badger and, despite his repulsion at the idea of eating something that had been lying around on the ground for probably more than a day, he had been hungry enough for his instincts to take over. He knew it was unlikely that he would fall on another meal like this, but he would keep his nose sharp just in case. He had a good nose. If there was something to track down, he would find it.

After a few hours of fruitless walk through the woods, he came across a strange fragrance. The scent was somehow extremely familiar… even though he was certain he had never smelled it before. Out of curiosity – and probably driven by his youkai instincts – he followed the faint trail through the trees.

After a while, the smell strengthened and his common sense eventually kicked in as he made the connection.

He was tracking another dog demon.

He stopped dead in his tracks and pondered for a few seconds. The last youkai he had met had called him 'hanyou' and tried to kill him on sight, what guarantee did he have that this inu-youkai would not do the same? But that had been an onigumo, perhaps another dog demon would be less hostile?

His instincts were telling him to go…

He compromised that he would spy on the other before showing himself. If it seemed safe, he would try to befriend the stranger.

Comforted by his decision – and completely oblivious to the fact that another dog demon would probably have a sharp nose as well – he resumed his walk.

X-X-X

Sesshomaru turned his head slightly to the right, in the direction of the approaching scent. It was familiar, extremely familiar, and it took him a few seconds to place when he had smelt it before.

His eyes narrowed at the memory.

It had been eight years. What was the hanyou doing alone in a deserted forest? Should the pup not be with his mother?

He inhaled deeply, deciphering the fragrances brought by the wind but none of them carried the smell of his father's human toy.

The hanyou was definitely alone. Odd.

Alone and drawing near.

A rush of anger coursed through his veins and he repressed a low growl at the intrusion that was likely to occur.

X-X-X

Inuyasha eventually reached the source of the scent and, when he did, he realized what crucial detail he had overlooked.

Of course, the other would have smelled him too.

Inuyasha was staring at a tall, white-haired, very strong-looking youkai, and the said youkai was glaring right back at him.

Slowly, extremely slowly, Inuyasha took a step back. The other felt familiar, _smelled_ familiar, but he looked angry, he looked angry while glaring at him and Inuyasha was not a fool. Retreat was his only option.

Before he could take another step back, however, instinct crashed over him like a hurricane, a wordless command coming from the deepest part of his being.

 _Submit._

He began to lower himself to the ground.

X-X-X

When the half-breed barged through the edge of the trees, Sesshomaru was already facing him, his expression as cold and rejecting as he could muster – which was proving to be difficult with his inner beast wagging its tail at the approaching pup.

Pulling hard on an imaginary leash, Sesshomaru eyed the thin and battered hanyou who had apparently been sleeping outside for a while, if the smell and ragged appearance were any indication.

He wondered at the cause for this and abruptly stopped his musing, because his inner-youkai was worryingly _pleading_ him to comfort the pup and he did not want to be infected by the beast's fondness for the half-breed. Still, he wondered.

Had the humans eventually chased him out?

He did not have the time to ask because the hanyou slowly crouched down, his head awkwardly tilted to the side in an inu-youkai gesture of submission.

Was the whelp going to…

Oh, no. Never.

He would not stand for that.

X-X-X

On his knees, Inuyasha looked up at the other inu, part of his mind wondering what the _hell_ he was doing, lowering his guard like that. If the other were to attack, he would not be able to get out fast enough. Why was he slimming his chances to escape?

The command crashed again through his mind and his hands dropped to the ground as well, fisting in the grass to steel their small shaking.

 _Submit._

In front of him, the youkai glowered, eyes filled with what could only be described as murderous intent, and took a step in his direction. Inuyasha froze, contemplating if he should run for it.

 _Submit._

Inuyasha tilted his head more, baring his throat and praying whichever god would listen for the other not to attack him. He felt more than he heard the subsonic growl coming from the powerful inu, and it was not a nice sound.

The youkai took another step and Inuyasha's resolve shattered. Fear overwhelmed him and he sprang to his feet, breaking into a dead run.

X-X-X

Seeing the whelp spring to his feet and run away was both satisfying and strangely disappointing. Ignoring the beast's pleas to go after the pup, Sesshomaru deliberately walked away.

After ten steps or so, he slowed down to a halt.

He glanced back. Took another step away.

His inner beast _whined_ and he stopped. It had been at least a good century since his beast had made that kind of noise. He knew perfectly what feelings it entailed. Concern and distress.

Sesshomaru let out a deep sigh.

And followed the pup's trail.

X-X-X

 **Alright, sorry for the wait. Cold Heart's updates are slow because I put a lot of time and effort into the writing, to polish it until it satisfies my perfectionism. Inuyasha's chapter turned out to be really hard to write (I don't know why), but here it is. Next chapter should be the end... possibly. Unless you guys request I prolong the story. Anyway, I hope you just had a good read.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Claywind**


	4. Four - Inuyasha (part II)

**So, I could explain why I haven't updated in ages, but I think you're more interested in the story than my personal life.**

 **As of the 2nd of october 2017, Chapters 1, 2 and 3 have been sligthly revised and I've also added a small bit about the relationship between Sesshomaru's parents (chapter 1), as well as how Sesshomaru takes his father's loss (chapter 2). You don't need to go reread, but I thought I'd signal it for anyone interested.**

XXX-XXX-XXX

Inuyasha tripped again. He landed face-first into the ground and let out a plaintive wail that echoed throughout the trees.

He was scared, and cold, and utterly exhausted. But mostly scared.

Ignoring the protests of his limbs, he got to his feet and started running again. He looked over his shoulder and a flicker of silvery-white between the trees made him bolt in another direction. His zigzagging run was a desperate attempt, born from panic rather than hope.

The other inu was not going to lose him now that he had his scent.

For the umpteenth time since he had started running, Inuyasha cursed his foolishness. What was he thinking approaching a full-blooded youkai? That the demon would not try to kill him on sight? Of course, he would. They all did. They all wanted him dead and how could he be so _stupid_ to expect anything more from this one? Just because he smelled like… like home.

Worst, even; this eminently deadly inu – who, Inuyasha was convinced, could easily catch up to him in a matter of seconds if he so wished – was closing in _slowly_. The youkai wanted him to keep running like a scared rabbit, wanted to _toy_ with him, to make him his prey; the bastard wanted him to be _afraid_.

That was just sick.

Inuyasha repressed the tiny growl bubbling in his chest, preferring to keep his breath focused on escaping. He tried not to pay attention to the way his eyes were starting to sting, nor to the lump slowly forming in his throat. There had to be a way to throw the youkai of his track. There had to be. He was not going to let this dog-demon play with him like a cat with a mouse.

He crashed through thick under bushes, cursing at the branches clinging onto his clothes and slowing him down. He fought against them, and against the fear clawing at his guts, because he could smell the other closing in. He could distinctly hear soft footsteps on dead twigs and he knew the inu was making that noise on purpose. His limbs were shaking from exhaustion and barely carrying him anymore. Black dots were dancing at the periphery of his vision and the sound of his blood pounding in his ears was dampened only by his labored breaths. He knew that the chase was coming to an end.

But he kept fighting his way through the bushes, kept running forward until he crashed through the tree line and into a vast snowy field and he knew, there and then, that it was _over_ , because there were no more trees to hide behind and he was so tired, so _tired_ that dying did not seem like such a bad option.

He collapsed in the snow, not even noticing the cold dampness creeping in his bones, and he prayed that it would be over quickly. He knew it would not be, he was not an idiot. He had guessed that the inu-youkai intended to toy with him before killing him. So, it was going to be long and painful, but it was alright, really, because a disgusting and unwanted hanyou like him probably deserved it – or so everyone had always said – so there must be some truth to it.

It was alright.

Hot tears prickled out of his eyes and froze on the thick white snow. As his vision faded to black, he blurrily made out a glimpse of a white silhouette emerging from the tree line.

X-X-X

Well, if anything, Sesshomaru had to admit that the whelp's tenacity was commendable. The hanyou had been running away non-stop for a whole day and, in spite of his evident exhaustion, seemed to have enough willpower to keep moving. If Sesshomaru was not so focused on arguing with his inner-beast, he would have been slightly impressed.

As it was, the Lord of the Western Lands was facing a dilemma.

His beast wanted to protect the pup as one of his own while his honor – and ego – demanded he erase the disgusting taint on his lineage.

The hanyou's resilience was offering him time enough to carefully ponder his decision, for which he would have been grateful, except he was not going to show gratefulness to the half-breed responsible for his father's demise.

He was also curious of the pup's limits and somehow surprised that he had not collapsed yet.

Ah.

Speaking of which.

Sesshomaru let his eyes fall on the small body lying on the snow-covered ground. It seemed the pup's endurance had finally reached its end. The dog-demon stared at the red of the hanyou's clothes, wondering idly if the pup's blood would stand out as starkly on the white ground. Because of his proximity, he could see the small tremors running through the limbs that had been pushed so far past their breaking point.

Sesshomaru steeled himself and his claws briefly radiated a sickly greenish glow. The beast within him trashed and pleaded and roared, demanding he stopped this madness – the pup belonged to them; he was _pack_ , theirs to protect – but Sesshomaru silenced him.

This had to be done.

He knelt slowly next to the limp body and rolled him over, so that his throat and belly were exposed to him. He would at least make it quick and end it while the pup was still unconscious. He had that much decency.

His eyes trailed to the damp silver hair curling on the snow – hair so much like his own, the beast pleaded once more, the pup was of their blood; he was _family_.

He clenched his jaw and tore his eyes away from the proof of his connection to the hanyou. His attention shifted to the dog ears protruding from the top of the youth's skull, more evidence of the creature's disgusting human taint, and he used his loathing to silence the beast clawing at the ice around his heart. His eyes fell to the child's face, and he distinctly saw the hints of tears frozen on his cheeks.

He looked so small and defenseless.

 _Small and scared, blinding lights flashing in the darkened skies, thunder rolling high, the low rumble of father's voice, soothing warmth fur, soft smells that spoke of home and safety…_

The acid glow of his claws dimmed as Sesshomaru stared at nothing in stunned silence. That half-forgotten memory had not been brought forth by the beast. It belonged to him only, and why had it surfaced now, and he refused to consider the only plausible explanation because the shivering pup at his feet was _not_ kin, _not_ blood, _not_ pack, not…

A low, hateful, growl erupted from between clenched teeth and he curled his long fingers around the pup's throat. He was going to crush his neck; a swift and painless death. More leniency than what a filthy hanyou deserved.

He summoned all his willpower, burying the beast's pleas under icy hatred and tightened his hold to mash the delicate bones under the soft flesh.

But he could not.

His grip was strong enough to reduce stone to dust, yet _he could not_.

He growled as his beast rejoiced, growled in revulsion and incredulous anger. He was not able to hurt the pup any more than he had been these eight or nine years ago. He was impeded by his inner youkai, in the exact same infuriating way he had been back then and, worse of all, he had committed the mistake of touching the hanyou and, as he realized the position he had let himself take – holding the pup's neck to the ground – it was too late to prevent the beast from acknowledging the hanyou to their pack.

And his instincts crashed down on him because the pup – _his_ pup – was hurt and exhausted and, as much as he wanted to, he could _not_ leave the youngling unconscious and vulnerable in the cold snow.

To a dog-demon, and especially a tai-youkai such as him, abandoning a pup of his pack was simply unthinkable.

Damn it all to the seven hells.

He had to take care of him.

X-X-X

Inuyasha woke up to a warm softness and a feeling of complete safety. He was wrapped in a soothing familiar scent, and as he emerged from the fuzziness of sleep, he realized that the smell was strong enough that the one emitting it had to be more than close.

His eyes slowly opened to reveal pale grey fur, only inches from his face – some of the longest hair softly tickled the tip of his nose – and he looked up an armored torso to meet gold eyes staring right back at him.

He recognized the inu-youkai instantly but, surprisingly, there was no jolt of panic or frightened urge to bolt away, despite the unsettling cold glare the other was sending his way. He did not feel even the slightest nudge of apprehension when the vastly more powerful demon shifted. The arm that had been wrapped loosely around Inuyasha's shoulders moved and a hand seized his nape in a vice grip.

His instincts were telling him that it was alright, that everything was exactly as it should be and that there was no reason to struggle against the hand that was now clenching his throat and pushing him on his back.

The more rational part of his mind wanted him to fight back, to flee, at the very least to be afraid, but the vast majority of Inuyasha simply accepted that the other had every right to hold him to the ground and keep him there for as long as he wanted.

So Inuyasha went limp and waited. And when the hold against his neck tightened uncomfortably, he let a small keening sound escape from his mouth and exposed his throat more to the inu-youkai still glaring at him with cold bitterness in his eyes.

They remained in this position for a long time and, eventually, the other released his grip and stood up.

"Follow," he stated as he started walking away.

Inuyasha scrambled to his feet and followed his alpha into the night.

For the first time since his mother's passing, he felt whole again.

X-X-X

Sesshomaru glanced down at the small sleeping form curled against his side. Holding onto the hatred and disgust he felt for the hanyou was becoming more and more difficult with every hour passed in his company.

The pup was bright, clever and so eager to please him, it was a bit disconcerting. He followed every command, every coldly barked order, with a smile so happy that Sesshomaru had to wonder if everything was quite balanced between those two dog ears.

Earlier in the night, he had hunted for the pup and, for the first time in ages, had felt a true sense of accomplishment in it. Hunt tended to lose its interest when you were a hundred times faster and stronger than your prey, but this time, there had been true satisfaction and dare he say pride when he had brought back the deer carcass to the youngling under his protection.

He had fed first, obviously, but barely a few bites and only because it was his kill. Then, he had observed with apparent disinterest as the pup crouched to the carcass and started chewing at it with a franticness that clued Sesshomaru as to how starved the youngling really was. He had also smelled the dried blood and evidences of wounds, both old and fresh, that something or _someone_ had inflicted.

Even now in the midst of a quiet night, that knowledge still irked him. He breathed slowly and, under the moonlight filtering through the branches, he faintly glimpsed the faded shimmer of his inner beast curled protectively around the two of them. His lips extended in what was not quite a smile yet, the bared hint of fangs shaped in a silent threat.

He knew that it would take less than a few days for him to start viewing the pup as his little brother; just as he knew that he would start treasuring him as such, even more than his beast already did.

Strange, how the idea was not as appalling as it had been hours before.

His beast had a pup to protect and cherish, something that he had never realized his raging inner demon even _wanted_. As for himself, he felt peaceful and – dare he say – content.

Nonsense.

An annoyed sigh escaped his lips as he rolled his eyes and he immediately denied that the far-too-human gesture had happened.

As if responding to his irritation, Inuyasha keened softly in his sleep and Sesshomaru let out a low soothing rumble, his hand lifting almost against his will to stroke the pup's head.

As if conjured by the gesture, the ghost of his father's last words echoed at the back of his mind and he sneered at the waning moon. Something to protect? What a foolish notion.

His fingers trailed along the nape of the pup, reassuring and comforting.

He had no need for such a thing.

X-X-X

The night of the new moon was fast approaching, and Inuyasha was very much afraid. He had not dared mention his monthly transformation to his alpha, whose opinion of all things human had been made very clear since day one, when he had cleanly eviscerated his way through a camp of soldiers. Inuyasha had been rather terrified by all the violence and death and had stuck as close as he could to the taiyoukai's legs.

He had asked afterwards why they had not simply avoided them – as they could smell them miles before even hearing them – and, as his alpha had started to answer, he had been quickly sorry he had even asked.

The other harbored an unexpectedly strong hatred for humans and especially 'pathetic fools who dared to encroach upon his forests'. Inuyasha did not know what 'encroach' meant, but he could deduce part of it from context and the scathing answer and bad mood that his first question had caused did not encourage him to ask more.

Thus, he was quietly walking in his alpha's footsteps, his anxiety gradually growing as the sun slowly descended towards the earth. And as the new moon inched its way closer to being revealed, he could already feel the usual smells and noises fade, his perceptions dimming until he was left almost deaf and blind.

And then, as the sun disappeared behind the mountains, the change rippled over him and he faltered in his steps at the sudden shift. But he did not have the time to reacquaint himself with his slowed body, because the taiyoukai in front of him had stopped moving and was standing extremely still.

A low keen escaped from his throat but the sound was wrong. It was not his voice, not an inu's whine but a human cry and how he hated that he could not smell if the other was angry or disappointed.

 _Please,_ he thought.

The other turned slowly towards him, pale gold eyes glinting in the darkening evening.

 _Please,_ he prayed as he stood there frozen with something that was neither fear nor hope.

X-X-X

Sesshomaru had barely heard the pup stumble that the new, disgustingly human, smell hit his nostrils.

He had forgotten. In the haste with which his beast had accepted the pup, in the surprising peace he felt at not fighting his inner youkai every second, he had blinded himself to the fact that the pup was _not one of his kind_.

And it was that much more painful to realize his mistake now, because he had already grown far too attached to the youngling. His claws were itching for a slaughter and he was not sure he dared look behind him. He was not sure he could restrain his bloodthirst if he saw as well as smelled.

The low broken, _human_ , cry that sounded broke his stillness. The sound was distorted and unlike anything a dog-demon's vocal chords could produce and yet, it was still Inuyasha's voice.

Slowly, he turned, and when his gaze crossed black eyes filled with dread and shame, he was amazed that he did not want to kill the human child in front of him.

"I'm sorry," the child whispered, his gaze lowering to the ground.

"Is it your fault?" he found himself asking and puzzled as to where the question had come from.

"I…" the youngling hesitated and, after what seemed like an eternity, he eventually replied in a barely audible murmur: "no."

"Then do not be sorry," Sesshomaru declared in what could only be described as a snappish tone.

Hopeful black eyes lifted to meet his. There was a glimmer on his cheeks and a scent of salt in the air.

"Then I won't," the child started to say, only for his tears to start flowing again. "I'm sor-… not sorry," he managed to add before the end of his sentence was drowned in uncontrollable little sobs.

For the first time in centuries, Sesshomaru felt that he had no idea how to handle a situation. And it was not made easier when the child closed the small distance between them and hugged the side his right leg with surprising strength and an erratic succession of whispered 'thank you'.

Sesshomaru was then filled with the unshakeable conviction that, from somewhere in the seven hells, his father was laughing at him.

X-X-X

 **I haven't touched this story since february 2016! Can you imagine it? I'm not going to give you all a big apology for the wait - unless you were actually offended? - but I am going to thank all of those who left comments.**

 **Because if it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't have had the motivation to keep going on. You have no idea how the simplest of reviews, even a small "I liked this, please update soon" helped me get my shit together and give this story a proper chapter.**

 **So to all of you who commented, you're the reason there is a chapter 4 right now.  
Thank you very much.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Claywind**


End file.
